


After Tonight

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s01e16 20 Hours in L.A., F/M, Romance, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-09-22
Updated: 2001-09-22
Packaged: 2019-05-15 13:06:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14791061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Sam and Donna Get to know each other better.





	After Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

 

Title: After tonight  
Author:Clare  
Spoilers:20HiLA  
Rating: PG  
Description: Sam and Donna get to know each other  
better.  
Categories:Romance (S/D, J/D)Episode tag(?)Series  
Disclamior: None of these charcters are mine.  
Authors notes: Thanks to Kirsty and All on jetcjr10  
and sam4donna. I'd love to know what you all think of  
my story.  
***

Donna sighed and downed the rest of her glass of  
champagne. Josh had told her to stop drinking just  
before he'd gone off to flirt with Joey Lucas. It  
wasn't fair she'd concluded. Here she was all dressed  
up for him and the only time he'd paid any attention  
to her was when she'd been momentarily star struck by  
David Hasselhoff. Oh well, at the least the champagne  
was still flowing she thought as she set off in search  
of another glass.

***

He couldn't believe it. He hadn't seen or heard from  
Lisa since he'd joined the Bartlets presidential  
campaign, yet there she was across the room hanging  
off the arm of her soap star fiancée who he couldn't  
remember what show he was in let alone his name. Sam  
had always let people believe the reason Lisa had left  
him was the campaign in truth she'd left him at the  
alter for an actor and in Sams opinion, a bad one at  
that. So that's how he came to be sitting at a bar on  
his fourth whisky and still not feeling the least bit  
happy.

  


"Champagne please." Sam looked across at the leggy  
blonde and it took a moment for his blurred vision to  
clear long enough for him to see it was Donna.

  


"Hey Donnatella." She looked at Sam who looked about  
as bad as she felt. She smiled at the barman before  
accepting her drink and sitting down on the stool next  
to Sam.

  


"Only Josh is allowed to call me that." She chided  
softy and Sam didn't miss the sadness that he saw I  
her eyes when she said Joshs name. He watched as she  
took a gulp from her drink before asking "What's he  
done now?" And swallowing some of his own drink which  
he was now starting to feel a little giddy from after  
drinking all four drinks in such quick succession.  
Donna sighed again before answering.

  


"He's off flirting with Joey Lucas." She thought  
quickly that maybe telling Joshs best friend that she  
was upset by this was probably a bad idea but the  
thought disappeared quickly as she took another  
mouthful of champagne. Sam had now finished his and  
motioned for another and waited for Donna to continue.  
"I got all dressed up tonight and he didn't even  
notice.

  


He took a moment to take in Donnas appearance. She  
wore a simple black dress that reached her knees and  
contrasted nicely with her now slightly tanned  
alabaster skin. "Well in my opinion you look  
gorgeous." He smiled at her again before asking "Yu  
feel like dancing?"

  


Donna looked at him surprised. Sam had never been much  
of a dancer. The few dances he'd been forced into over  
that years balls had resulted in severe injury to his  
partners feet. No one ever danced with Sam Seaborn  
twice.

  


"No. I think I'll pass. But I do want ice cream. You  
wanna go find an ice cream parlour?" She downed the  
rest of her drink before standing up and swaying  
slightly. "Sure, why not." He to finished his drink  
and stood offering Donna his arm and together they  
left the party.

***

"...and then I just sorta... fell." Donna dissolved into  
giggles as Sam finished telling how he'd fallen off a  
boat while talking to a major player in the Democratic  
Party, who the Bartlet campaign had been desperate to  
get money out of. Which sufficed to say they didn't  
get.

  


"Okay Donna? It really wasn't THAT funny...Donna? Yeah,  
okay, fine. Have a laugh at my expence." Sam looked  
down at his half melted chocolate ice cream then  
chanced a look at Donnas face. Then he too started  
laughing. Once they'd calmed down Donna took a bite of  
her coconut ice cream and saw Sam staring at her.  
"What?"

  


Sam shook his head before replying, "Nothing. Come on  
it's after one, We've got to catch a plane in 2  
hours." Both finished their ice cream before rising  
from the steps they were sat on and headed back in the  
direction of the hotel. "Sam?"

  


"Yeah?"

  


"Why were you so miserable tonight?" Sam took a deep  
breath before answering.

  


"My ex- fiancée was there with her new guy and it just  
threw me a bit that's all." Donna stopped walking and  
turned looking him in the eye. "Lisa?" Sam just  
nodded. "That sucks. During the primaries when we all  
went to Wisconsin? I saw my ex with the girl he was  
cheating on me with."

  


"Doctor Freeride? Josh never mentioned it."

  


"I never told him. Both he and CJ had this protective  
thing already going on and they probably would have  
beaten him senseless...Not that I'd would have minded  
but it might have looked bad you know? Press secretary  
and Chief of staff of the Bartlet campaign attack un  
armed doctor." She finished with a little laugh and  
they continued to walk back to the hotel in silence  
until they reached the lobby where they found Josh  
waiting for them.

  


"Where the heel did you two go! I've been looking  
everywhere!" Donna rolled her eyes and walked strait  
past him heading for the desk where she grabbed her  
key card. "Sam and I went for ice cream." The two men  
followed her Into the elevator and Sam had to hold  
back a smirk as Josh carried on. "I was worried sick  
about you Donnatella, No one knew where you'd gone and  
Margaret made me promise to keep you out of the way of  
strange men!"

  


"Okay Josh? First your not my mother, second since you  
looked around and realised Sam was gone to then you  
should have been able to figure out I was with him and  
there for not with strange men and by the way, I know  
that's just you talking and not Margaret." Donna  
finished her little rant and stepped out of the  
elevator and stopped by her door. "Now, have you both  
packed?" Sam and Josh nodded sensing that assistant  
Donna was now in charge.

  


"I've just gotta shower and change my suit so I'm  
gonna go back to my room. I'll meet you guys in an  
hour in the lobby. See ya later." Sam walked into his  
room and then closed the door. He'd surprised him self  
by having such a great time with Donna and hoped that  
it wasn't just the alcohol talking and that maybe they  
could go out again when they got home. He smiled to  
himself and headed for the shower.

  


Mean while, Donna had discovered that when Josh said  
he had packed, he had in fact put all his clothes on  
the bed and left it for Donna to do, so instead of  
being able th shower like she wanted to, there she was  
having had to change quickly and now she was packing  
Joshs clothes which considering that they were there  
for under 24 hours, he had way to many of. While Josh  
continued to rant about her leaving the party until  
she snapped.

  


"For gods sake Josh! You were busy with Joey and you  
really don't need me to hold your hand for that! I was  
bored, Sam was bored and I wanted ice cream so we  
left. And now you can finish your own damn packing!"  
With that she walked out and slammed the door leaving  
Josh open mouthed while she headed for Sam's room.

  


End of Part 1


End file.
